This review does not contain spoilers.

Synopsis

Two women, en route to Tokyo for separately unknown reasons, have a chance encounter on the train where they learn that their destination is not the only thing they have in common; they are both twenty years old and share a name: Nana. Little do they know this will not be their only meeting, as later they have a reunion while checking out the same apartment. We then see their friendship blossom from strangers on the train to soulmates, both being the beacon of light for one another, encouraging the other to succeed.

Story

The most stand-out element this series has over its contemporaries is how realistically adult it is. The flow changes along with the decisions made and the friendships characters build throughout the series. You see firsthand that most of the time, how you envision the future is vastly different from how life works out. Sometimes, the passing of time means your dreams seem to be drifting farther away, but that is okay. These changes, grounded by realism in the sense they are drastic and sudden, are never predictable, leaving the drama factor fresh and engaging. While the drama can be just that -- dramatic, it is never overdone as the show focuses more on the lingering effect events have on characters instead of milking the raw emotion for all it's worth.

Characters

The characters share a trait uncommon in a decent amount of fiction; their struggles feel natural, with a bittersweet, nostalgic sense of authenticity as if you are reflecting on the lives of a close group of friends, maybe even yourself. Nana K. (Hachi, as others nickname her) has an immature view of romance and relationships, but her mindset is not without consequence. Her romantic expectations are unrealistic and fairy-tale-like, and though she is warned of this many times by those closest to her, it hardly ever clicks until it is too late. Her flaws (mainly her naïveté) occasionally lead to poor choices and painful mistakes. Nevertheless, Hachi's good-naturedness and the sincere compassion she exhibits for those around her means you can not help empathizing and rooting for her as if she were a genuine friend. Nana O., an aspiring punk singer, is seemingly the polar opposite. The pain of her past grievances has made her seem emotionally closed off, which comes off as being cool and mysterious. However, as she slowly exits her shell exterior while the show unfolds, we discover that she equally cares for those close to her as Hachi would. Her struggles to fight her issues while chasing her dream for the sake of not only herself but her close friends can be both heartwarming and heartbreaking, resonating with the audience and serving to make her feel truly human. Aside from the protagonists, the ensemble cast of supporting characters would be impossible to adequately describe in a review like this, as none are inessential. No matter how small a character may seem, they serve a greater purpose in the overarching narrative. No one in the cast is interchangeable, each possessing a unique role that would be a detriment to the harmony of the show if removed from their place.

Art & Music

The overall visuals are not exactly the creme de la creme (the scenery is always well-done, whereas character animation and proportion are occasionally rough around the edges at the beginning of the series), but Madhouse still did a fantastic job adapting Ai Yazawa's distinctive art style. The best example is how expressive facial expressions are; no matter if the scene is dramatic or light-hearted, you can tell how a character feels by solely watching their face. As cliche as it sounds, sensing the emotion in a character's eyes is truly remarkable, especially in animation. The clothing and fashion styles of the characters also perfectly encapsulate them as people. Hachi, who is outgoing and peppy, dresses bubbly yet simultaneously modest, while Shin (one of Nana O.'s bandmates), a rebellious teen, goes from a rather plain-looking boy to guns blazing on the punk aesthetic, piercings and all.

Since this is partly a music anime, you must expect the audio end to be above average, at the least. Even with those expectations, one could not help being consistently impressed with the quality and effort put into all musical aspects. Nana O.'s band, BLAST, while not precisely the punk music they label themselves, has a raw, authentic edge to their music, which allows it to stand out on top of being enjoyable in its merit. On the contrary, Trapnest, a band with significant plot importance, has a more commercial pop style conveyed by their slick, spotless production catered for a more mass appeal. This level of care and detail not only applies to the bands themselves but even the background music. Instead of muzak merely used to fill the silence, you get masterful compositions tuned to fit the mood of a specific scene, from cheerful to bouncy, melancholic to bittersweet.

The Elephant in the Room & Conclusion

To explain adequately without spoilers, the ending of Nana is abrupt. There is not a gradual shift that brings you to a full resolution, no coda. You get a slight conclusion for a few storylines, but it is more of a band-aid, leaving you with numerous questions. The ending is why many are conflicted about starting Nana and why people who otherwise had no qualms with the show hesitate to give it a perfect score. Understandably, one may think, "How could something with such a glaring shortcoming be considered perfect?" In art, a purely subjective medium, objective perfection is impossible. Scrutinizing anything will lead to the discovery of flaws, so it becomes a question of whether those flaws mean anything in the eyes of an individual viewer. For myself, there was not a frame of Nana that I did not consistently love. While the abruptness of the ending is off-putting for others, the longing for answers only serves as a testament to how masterfully crafted and meaningful each preceding moment of this show is. The imperfection drives why Nana is so beloved in the first place; it is relatable, but first and foremost, it is human.

TL;DR

Nana is one of those rare experiences where not only will you be thoroughly enthralled by the story and characters but moved to the point where you might just be motivated to reflect on the blessing of friendship and how your tiniest decisions can drastically change you forever. The ending can leave a lot desired, but this should not discourage you from missing out on such a beautifully true-to-life anime.